Death penalty VS Life in prison By Colin Robertson “Other states are trying to abolish the death penalty... mine's putting in an express lane.” – Ron White The death penalty, as it is commonly referred, is the penalty sometimes given to the criminals faced with the most horrific crimes possible. Many feel it is necessary in order to keep society safe because of how it permanently removes these select people from society, feeling that this will keep them safe from danger. It has been a part of the justice system since the beginning of human history, used primarily in cases of murder, treason and in military service, but just because something is old, doesn’t mean it’s what is right. The last several centuries have seen the emergence of modern nation states. Almost obvious to the concept of nation state is the idea of citizenship.
Should we adhere to the policy of “an eye for an eye”? Opponents of the Death Penalty, in their attempt to illustrate that executing a convicted criminal is no less barbaric than the crime for which he or she is being punished, claim that sentencing these individuals to death does not deter crime. In fact, such executions merely convey that it is acceptable to act violently. In her argument against Capital Punishment, Belinda York states, “Why should potential criminals be afraid of committing crimes, when the very society that prohibits such behavior resorts to the same methods” (89)? According to this view, if the state is allowed to kill, why is not this privilege extended to all citizens?
Mia Michael H.English Mrs. Gaskill April 23, 2013 An argument that never seems to have a clear winner is “Life in Prison” vs. “The Death Penalty”. Although both sides have valid points, I feel that only one should be allowed. The death penalty is inhumane and unethical. It seems hypocritical for us, the American people, and are judicial system to say that murder is wrong and illegal, but continue to murder both the guilty and thee wrongfully accused. The death penalty gives those that are actually guilty the easy way out of punishment, and the innocent a wrongful death.
Conrado Valido Frederick Knowles English Composition: Response Paper 11 February 2011 The Death Penalty According to David Bruck, “neither justice nor self-preservation demands that we kill men” and I beg to differ. Death penalty is considered as a controversial topic today. Death penalty is the best way to bring justice because it is cheap, it serves as justice for the victims, and it gives a higher regard to the victim’s suffering in the hands of the murderer. Although some people oppose death penalty saying it is immoral and a waste of life, it is still the best way to bring justice to the victims of heinous crimes. Death penalty is the best way to bring justice because it is cheap.
The death penalty is a lawful killing of a criminal and is not done by an individual but by the government. Congressmen should not abolish the death penalty because it leads to justice for the crime committed, less criminals, and innocent lives being saved. Congressmen might
Perhaps the most frequently raised argument against capital punishment is that of its cost. Other thoughts on the death penalty are to turn criminals away from committing violent acts. A just argument against the death penalty would be that sentencing an individual to death prevents future crimes by other individuals. However, criminals are not afraid of the death penalty. The chance of a criminal being sentenced to death is very slim.
When it comes to capital punishment, proportionality under the Eight Amendment to the U. S. Constitution means that any state or federal law that allows for the death penalty must specify the exact crimes for which the death penalty may be imposed. In addition, the crimes specified have to be serious enough to justify the punishment. www.criminal.lawyers.com>...>criminallaw. In non-capital cases where a defendant, if convicted, doesn’t face the death penalty because the rules on proportionality aren’t always clear. Under the Eight Amendment, federal and state criminal laws can’t allow excessive bail, fines, or cruel and unusual punishment.
A life of incarceration without the possibility of parole is a realistic alternative for the small number of offenders who are likely to be executed in any given year. Justice does not mandate death but justice does request that murderers be punished. If punishment is reasonable for returning justice and the moral order, it does not necessarily follow that capital punishment is moral. “The death penalty only allows us to extend the pain. It allows us to continue to blame one another, to turn against one another, to learn to hate better”.
Criminals might think twice before they commit a crime if they knew they were going to get the death penalty. Retribution is another pro for capital punishment, because the death penalty is a real punishment. Instead of sending the criminal to a rehabilitative program, he or she is forced to suffer for the crime they committed. Retribution helps console the family of the victims, who are grieving over the death of a loved one. Capital punishment saves money and overcrowding in the prisons.
The death penalty is a great tool for the American justice system. Without it, criminals may have the opportunity to reoffend or commit other heinous crimes. The death penalty also saves the lives of what may be future victims by preventing these criminals from ever having the opportunity to commit another crime against innocent civilians. There are those who will argue that we are taking away their human rights to live. True, every human was born with human rights, but I believe if you take away someone else’s life, you give up your human rights.